Michigan Honors: Ann Arbor's World War II veterans and the power of connection

I think I’m probably the only World War II veteran in the Ann Arbor area.

Throughout the summer and into the fall, reporters across the state of Michigan will be meeting with and speaking to World War II veterans as part of MLive’s Michigan Honors project.

The project will culminate on Veterans Day, November 11, with an event honoring our local World War II vets at The Ann Arbor News offices.

I have taken the lead on this initiative in the Ann Arbor area and the initial response has been phenomenal. Since our first post in late April we received more than 100 responses through our online form, and dozens more submissions by mail in the Ann Arbor region alone. Throughout the state we’ve collected information of more than 1,500 veterans.

One of the most amazing aspects of this project is the potential we have to show World War II veterans that they are not alone. Many of those I have spoken with believe themselves to be without companions in the area.

“I don’t think there are very many of us WWII veterans left,” Wilbur Bigelow wrote to me in an email.

Bigelow, 91, served in a U.S. Navy research lab during the war and helped develop new oils and polymers to be used on ships. After the war, he remained in the Naval Reserves for nearly 15 years.

“I think I’m probably the only World War II veteran in the Ann Arbor area,” Raymond Harary told me.

Harary did not submit his information in the online form we provided — and you can find at the bottom of this story — nor did he mail in the slip of paper cut from our print product. Harary simply walked into our offices one day and asked to speak with me.

I couldn’t be happier that he did. While this project is only about one month old and will run through November, I can already say that the best part is being able to meet veterans in person and hear their stories.

No two veterans' stories are the same. Some saw combat or sailed aimlessly around the Pacific while others were in Europe or sitting in camps in the United States.

Harary served in the Navy and sailed from the Pacific to the Atlantic through the Panama Canal. He brought pictures with him, including one of a young man with a bright smile who Harary said was “the nicest most genuine person he ever met.”

“It didn’t matter that he was black and I was Jewish, we got along very well,” he said. “But I haven’t seen him since the war ended.”

There was also a picture that was ahead of its time. The background of the photograph is simply the hull of a ship, but by holding the camera out and taking a picture of himself, Harary took what is certainly the oldest ‘selfie’ that I have ever seen.

Harary was amused by the fact that taking self-pictures is now a trend, and thanks to photographer Patrick Record was able to re-create the moment in our offices.

I look forward to meeting and corresponding with many more veterans like Bigelow and Harary. I will be working with Advance Local intern Ian Thibodeau collecting veterans’ information and telling some of their stories.

We will also be showcasing the Ann Arbor region during and immediately after the war to examine the role played by those who remained in the area.